RESEARCH OF THE DRYING AGENT HEATING PROCESS IN THE SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTOR USING 3D SIMULATION

Regular increases in the cost of energy and a sharp reduction in their reserves have accelerated the use of alternative renewable energy sources in various sectors of the economy, including agricultural production. Drying of agricultural products is one of the most energy-intensive operations in the primary processing of raw materials. Reducing the cost of the drying process significantly affects the cost of the final product. Therefore, the use of solar energy for the preparation of the drying agent is relevant today. In the article, using the software 3D modeling, the technological process of heating the drying agent in the solar thermal collector is investigated. Using the “Digital Twin” technology, the modes of operation of the solar thermal collector with different geometric parameters are investigated. The implementation of the “Digital Twin” technology was carried out in the Creo 7.0 software package with the FloEFD computer simulation module installed. The following parameters were set for computer simulation of the drying agent heating process in the collector: time of the experiment, location of the object of study, position relative to the selected coordinate system (angles of inclination to the horizon), ambient temperature, cloudiness. The data obtained from the test of a physical object (laboratory installation of a solar thermal collector) were used as input parameters for computer simulation. The use of “Digital Twin” technology allowed us to optimize the parameters of the solar thermal collector and reduce material costs and time for its research. At the final stage of the research the finally chosen variant of a collector design was checked. The developed computer model will be used for automated control of the solar heat collector and optimization of the drying process of agricultural materials.